Islamabad: The failure of the Pakistani pharmaceutical industry in providing excellent quality, efficacy and value in products has forced foreign donors to purchase medicine from other countries to distribute among those in need in Pakistan.

According to experts, the profit-driven practices of all pharmaceutical industry owners have affected the quality of products significantly, and strict measures need to be taken to ensure quality of drugs in Pakistan. Little or no attention is being paid to inspections, audits, frequent product rejections and investigations as company owners continue to focus primarily on adding newer products to their line for the sole purpose of gaining profits.

These views were shared by President Pakistan Economy Watch, Dr Murtaza Mughal who said that it is indeed an embarrassment for the country that foreign donors prefer purchasing medication from other countries to send as aid to Pakistan. What would have been a source of economy boost for Pakistan has been hindered due to the negligence and profit-driven mentality of industry owners. Donors have expressed interest in purchasing drugs from Pakistan previously, but quality issues have prevented them from proceeding.

Dr Mughal added that pharmaceutical regulation authorities and owners must be blamed for the current situation and cause of national embarrassment. “Not a single Pakistani pharmaceutical product has been approved by the FDA or WHO. On the other hand, India, our neighboring country, currently has 240 companies producing FDA/WHO approved products. Bangladesh too has several companies producing drugs that have been approved by FDA”, shared Dr Mughal while stressing the need to implement Quality Assurance measures in all pharmaceutical companies across the country to prevent the situation from deteriorating further.